This invention relates to a blowing lance suspension with an integrated medium supply for metallurgical blowing lances wherein the blowing lance is mounted on a blowing lance carriage. More particularly, this invention relates to a blowing lance suspension having connection surfaces between the top part of the blowing lance and the lance carriage that lie substantially horizontal.
Blowing lance suspensions having integrated medium supply and horizontal connection surfaces between the lance and the medium supply device are known per se. The primary characteristic of these known arrangements (see for example the patent specifications LU-69-797 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,515 which is assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference and LU-86-985 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,791, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference) is that the primary connection surface points downwards. In contrast, the secondary connection surface, that is, the connection surface belonging to the lance, points upwards.
In the prior art, in order to obtain secure leaktight coupling of the lance to the medium supply device, the lance must be raised by a hoisting device upwardly to the primary connection surface. The lance is rigidly coupled to the medium supply device by means of a coupling device. It will be appreciated that the two operations of raising and coupling are disadvantageously carried out against the pull of gravity.
In addition, the coupling device with its associated drive mechanism, even in an improved version (see patent specification LU-88-017, corresponding to U.S. application Ser.No. 921,327 filed Oct. 13, 1992, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference) is still quite expensive.
Another disadvantage of the device proposed in Ser. No. 921,327 is that a transport clevis must be provided between the crane hook and the top part of the lance in order to transport the lance. This is required in order to bring the top part of the lance to a position under the medium supply device. The removal of this transport clevis after positioning the lance under the medium supply device as well as the initial attachment of the clevis entail complicated manipulations. Moreover, the minimum width of this clevis is determined by the width of the medium supply device, and therefore the lance approach corridor must have a greater than normal width.